Agriculture and food storage facilities face a problem when wishing to guard an area against constant roosting of birds, due to the droppings causing a health concern. When the birds roost in high areas, their droppings from overhead in areas that are supposed to be clean from dirt or debris, cause health and contamination concerns. For years, Methyl Anthranilate has been used as a deterrent for birds to induce them to leave a given area through the use of using heated fog machines or spraying the chemical on the food itself the birds would eat. This chemical, Methyl Anthranilate (MA), is avian specific and has been used worldwide for deterring birds.
Some machines used to distribute the chemical MA in the past needed advance preparation, heat up time, and an operator to distribute the heavy fog, delaying operations or requiring additional time. To cause a reaction in the birds, it is also necessary that the smoke not be too visible. When birds see the dense smoke created by these heated fog machines, it causes them to act defensively by protecting themselves and not actually breathing during the release of the chemical. This chemical is harmless to birds, animals and people, but causes a reaction internally only in birds, making them cough. Birds find this irritation substantial enough to want to leave the area, without having any after effects other than the memory of not liking the feeling in that area. Due to the good memory of birds, they remember they did not like it and stay away after 2 or 3 exposures.
A chemical was added to the pure form of Methyl Anthranilate as a carrier that was food grade inert ingredient mixed well with the active ingredient at 14.5%-41%. The existing machine with heated coils that burned the fluid created a fog application that would repel the birds by simply having the birds breathe the fog, but the odor created from the heating process was offensive to people and animals also. This application was only to cause birds to leave the area, not to kill them. After several applications of the fog or clouds of chemicals where the birds nested, the birds would leave, not liking the smell and effect it had on the birds throat.
When fogging with the chemical ReJeX-it®TP-40 in enclosed confines of a hangar or warehouse, 1-4 oz per 10,000 cu ft. gave excellent results. It was found that it is not necessary to operate the heated fogger at its highest capacity. Most of the time better results were obtained at less than 50% of the design rate to generate smaller more efficient particles or droplets. Operation of the Curtis Dyna-Fogger at very low output was still a very high output, due to this machine being designed for high output and not designed for very low output. The droplet size under 20 microns would be less than 10%, causing the psychological conclusion that more fog was needed to obtain the effects necessary to make a reaction with the birds effective. When 80% of the fog generated was ineffective, it also was a waste of chemical and caused a terrible odor when heated.
Other discoveries were made concerning the heating of the fluid. This heat process would sometimes reduce the effectiveness of the product, causing a less than desired result. A mechanical unit utilizing a compressor to compress the fluid to create a spray or mist under high pressure was a product called Universal Mist. It was applied in several locations because the manufacturer was claiming the particles to be smaller than 20 microns when the fluid was pressurized at 800 psi and forced through an orifice the size of 0.008. CITC sells a similar product and found testing to show the particles to be much larger (over 30 microns). The majority of particles (95%) were larger than the required 20 micron size and the overspray of the chemical caused damage to plants and paint on buildings. Damage was extensive and expensive for the replacement. Since there was not sufficient amount of smaller particles in the mist, it was abandoned after repairs had to be made that were too costly. The large and heavy weight of the particles caused the particles to stay low to the ground, causing a residue build-up that made a large impact on the plants and paint. Disadvantages of spraying the chemical Methyl Anthranilate when used in its' current applications on fruits and berries is considerable, limiting it to reduced performance. MA breaks down into anthracitic acid and causes severe phytotoxicity on leaves of treated plants when in large amounts of large size droplets. Second, it is a volatile compound and has a short residual on exposed fruit. Third, to repel birds, a large amount must be consumed in one bite to be effective. It is less effective when applied uniformly on plants by spraying.
PMC specialties Co. in Cincinnati developed a formulation that did not cause phytotoxicity. They encapsulated the MA in clay particles, so the chemical that is sprayed on the fruits and berries was release slowly over time when sprayed onto the plants. This would stay on the plants for a longer period, giving them a messy solution.
Methyl Anthranilate used in Rejex-It was disappointing when applying the fluid in a heavy spray or mist. Another chemical fluid mix using MA is a company in Washington called Bird Shield is now formulated to not cause leaf burn from the high phytotoxicity. But according to Rutgers cooperative Extension at New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station on Jul. 16, 1996, both formulations were disappointing. Although some deterrence was noted within 3 days of application, the effect was not long lasting. Similar results have been reported from Oregon, Florida and Michigan. In spite of these disappointing results, Bird Shield was labeled as authorized for use in 1996 on blueberries.
Applications of the chemical on plants over time results in the flavor/odor of the chemical MA become into the taste of the grapes and blueberries. This was unacceptable in large amounts being sprayed over fields. In small amounts, it was not that effective in prohibiting birds from feeding. So the dilemma of what can be effective for the birds and not effect the plant or fruit is posed.
Other bird abatement methods included scarecrows, flashy metal, tinsel, loud noise, irritating noise, dogs, netting, thick emulsions causing stickiness on the claws, etc. But none were enough to cause the birds to stay away long enough to be called a total success or clean enough that the method did not cause a visual sightly mess. The birds seemed to outsmart these devices after just a few weeks and it became ineffective or it was too difficult to clean up.
Even though the mechanical breakdown with a propellant is common (referred to as aerosol mist), all other mechanical compressed air methods did not have the technology of using the vapor tap effect combined with the mix of propellant inside a canister with the chemical MA under pressure to release to a fine orifice to cause the breakdown of the chemical fluid to be so small (below 20 microns).
A need exists for a tiny portable or handheld mist hazer for dispersing the chemical known as Methyl Anthranilate in a mixture that produces a very tiny particle size without the need for using heat as the method of reducing the size, which is highly mobile, portable and quick and easy to use. That need has persisted without solution over a long time. This invention prefers using small particle amounts of Methyl Anthranilate (MA) through the use of non-heated, pressurized chemical and mix of the chemical with the vapor to form smaller particles of smoke, haze or mist when trying to protect areas from birds through the use of smoke, haze or mist without the use of heating (bad odor) and reducing the size of the particle to be smaller than the heated type smoke generator applicator.
Efforts to keep birds out of a given area for cleanliness by using a transparent haze with very small particles or when trying to clear the area of birds above an area that is designated to be clean, can now be pleasant to people, animals and other inhabitants without the use of heating the chemical. Heated foggers caused more problems than solved them. While machines are available which produce smoke, haze or mist, the machines are bulky and difficult to transport and relocate and often require personnel specifically assigned for their operation, as well as the chemical reacts to the heat that is used to form a fog, smoke or haze that has a very distasteful odor.